New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-13
JIy METHODS WITH CRIMINALS.

Ky METHODS WITH CRIMINALS.
II is often said that the long delays which
take place in this country between the commits
sion of a capital offence and its punishment are
regarded with establishment abroad, especially
in England, where within fortnight alter his
conviction a murderer has usually been exc
cutcd The case Of the Chicago Anarchists Is
| no exception to the rule, though 1t Is by no
means the worst example of it. The nay
market massacre took place May 4. 1886; the
lconspirators were hanged November IL, 1885,
or wear, six months and one week later. Inc
case of Guitcau was almost as bad. as IL TOOK
nearly year after Garfield's death to bring MN
| to the gallOwS. The criminal RECORDS oi this
city. however. furnish far more Migrant en-
amples Owing TO the lack OF facilities 1or u!
ling criminals, both in the way OF coufl-rooliis'
iudgcs and prosecuting officers, 1t Is no I'M
common thing to see murderer brought 10
trial so long after the crime was committed That
| il has almost passed out of the general memory
| and the story is revived in the newspapers Us a
chapter of ancient history
| The sole advantage of this, if it can be SAID
TO be one. is that the passion and excitement
extending a crime like the assassination
of Garfield or the killing OF the
Chicago policemen have time to DE
away. unless it can be considered an
advantage that the criminals are kept for long
time on the rack Of suspense. Whatever else
can be said about the death of the Anarchists
it can never he charged that they were done to
Ideatn hastily or that they did not nave the lu'i
|bcncft of the laws delay which in this country.
land where criminals are concerned, Is schc-
Thing marvellous. The disadvantages are many
and obvious a Just public indignation has Il
lchancc to die out and be succeeded by maudin
sentiment. Valuable evidence is often lost ana
witnesses are subjected to unnecessary incon-
ycnicncc and even hardship. The probability
of punishment is greatly lcSsened and even
where il does follow it does not teach the
lesson that swift rctrbution does. The subject
is we'll worth the attention Of learned and phllo-
soubic legislators where there are such 1t
ought TO be practicable, without infringing upon
the rights Of accused persons, to provide Tor Il
|ouckcr dispatch Of criminal business, ana per
lhaps to bring the facilities for appeal within
more reasonable limits.
We need sadly. also, policy Of greater de-
corum and reserve in dealing with CRIMINALS.
Tho crowded court room roaring with iaughtcf
during the Guitcau trial the daily receptions
of the Anarchists; the presents OF fruits ana
flowers they received from silly people outside
their public addresses and their continual en-
Iuloitation in the prcSs-al this nonsense Is DIS
cr,ccfuI There is so much laXncss in our
court rooms that it is sometimes hard to say
who is the murderer and who is the District
Attorney Everybody seems to be on soclablc
| j. Y
ness in the jail that a murderer, if his surround
lincs were a little handSomcr, might be sup
lposcd to be statesman receiving his admrinG
Iconstituenss. This subject has It's very grave
side. Suppose Lingg had been able to kiil a
score or two Of people with his four Donp''
which the absurdIy free and easy ways Of the
Chicago jail had permitted him to get! No;
from the time man is convicted OF murdcr
Inc shouid disappear as completely from puDhc
lyicw as if he were dead. He should be allowed
Ito see no one but his counsel and his family
lie sbould no more be allowed to be interviewed
lin the newspapers than to take promenade III
1.-The streets This newspaper notoricty really
llcnds 4 charm 10 crime and, in another way
breeds clanks He should be executed a>
Incarly as possible in private, and his body
should be buried by the officials IN place tha'
lis unknown or inaccessible. This last rule was
followed with Booth and Gultcau, ana there
was even more reason for following it with the
Anarchists. Nothing can be more prcpostcron'
THAN to allow funeral to desperate criminal
(which may be made the occasion Of public dis
order In all these ways and many others We
lSbould show that a conviction Of crime puts a
brand Of disgrace upon a man and degrade"
him in the eyes Of those about him.